النسخة العربيّة

Preface

The secretariat of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is pleased to present the twenty-sixth issue of the Statistical Abstract of the ESCWA Region for 2006.

This Abstract aims to present a set of comparable Statistics and indicators based on international standards. These statistics and indicators provide a digital portrait on the status of economic and social development, where regional policy makers, in different fields of development, could benefit from in addition to researchers, academicians and other interested parties.

The Abstract is divided into ten chapters, on the following topics: population; education and illiteracy; health; national accounts; energy; industry; transport; foreign trade; financial statistics and prices; and information and communication technology.

The data contained in the Abstract were compiled mainly from national statistical sources in the ESCWA region, either through responses to ESCWA questionnaires or from statistical abstracts and bulletins issued by official authorities in member countries. The Abstract also relies on data issued by international organizations, giving priority to United Nations sources.

The Abstract deals with social and economic developments at the macro level in ESCWA member countries. It does so by presenting data in tables and highlighting a number of relevant regional indicators. Where possible, these have been calculated and presented in numeric or graphic form in comparison with global indicators.

Estimates made by ESCWA in cases where data were unavailable are indicated by the symbol (*) in order to distinguish them from the estimates of other official and international sources, which are explained in footnotes to the tables.